Many current window and door assemblies include liners extending along frame members (e.g., jambs, sills and headers) to facilitate movement of window sashes and sliding doors within frames. Frame fasteners (e.g., nails or screws) are driven through the liner and the frame member to couple the window or door assembly with surfaces defining rough openings in a wall. In some examples, fillers are attached over the liner and the frame fasteners to retain a sash or sliding door within a track along the liner. The filler substantially prevents lateral movement of the sash caused by a modest lateral force (e.g., wind). The fillers are coupled to the liner with fasteners, such as nails or screws, driven into the filler and the liner with hammers and/or screwdrivers. The fasteners are sometimes covered with a putty to conceal the fastener.
To remove the sash from the frame, the filler must be removed. Removing the filler is a labor intensive task requiring extensive work with tools. This requires digging through putty (e.g., with a pick) to get at the fastener and can damage the filler. Reinstalling the filler requires installing a replacement filler and/or puttying over the fastener again. In another example, the filler is torn away from the liner to allow for removal of the sash. Tearing out the filler causes damage to the filler and the window or door. Additionally, to remove a window or door from the rough opening (e.g., for service or installation elsewhere), the filler must be removed in a similar manner to expose the frame fasteners. Moreover, inspection of the filler often reveals the putty or fasteners because they have a different color than the rest of the filler and the fastener or the putty is not flush with the surface of the filler. Further, the filler often is made of a material having a different appearance from the rest of the window including, for instance, a wooden frame, decorative trim extending around the frame, and wooden sashes. The putty marks, fasteners and the different appearance of the filler reduce the aesthetic appeal of the window or door.
In other examples, the filler is integral with the frame member. Frame fasteners are driven through the filler and the frame member to couple the window or door assembly with the surface of a rough opening in a wall. Removal of a sash from the frame requires damaging the filler by tearing it away from the frame member. In still other examples, the fillers are at least partially held in place by the sashes and installation and removal of the window or door requires removal of the sashes. Removal thereby requires added labor and time to first remove the sashes and then remove the fillers (e.g., tearing out the fillers or unscrewing them from the liner) to provide access to the frame fasteners. After both the sashes and the fillers are removed to expose the frame fasteners, the frame fasteners are removed and the window or door is removable from a rough opening. Similarly, installation requires removal of the sashes and the fillers to provide access to the portion of the frame used to couple with the surface of the rough opening. Additionally, tools, such as a pick, hammer or screwdriver, are needed to remove the filler from the frame to access the frame fasteners.
What is needed is a structural filler system that overcomes the shortcomings of previous fillers. What is further needed is a structural filler system that provides easy access to frame fasteners while also substantially preventing lateral movement of sashes.